Saturday, October 26, 2013

Saturday at 1 p.m., while I'm finishing up my drive into the mountains of Southwest Virginia for football, the basketball team will take the floor back in Durham for the season's first exhibition game, vs. Bowie State. Here's a quick list of things to watch for (the final score isn't one of them--exhibition basketball is more about the means than the end)

Pace of play Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has talked about how he wants the Blue Devils to push tempo and get up and down the floor. Tyler Thornton told us scribes at media day that Krzyzewski normally pushes them to double their speed in practice. Last year's Duke team averaged 69.4 possessions per game, which ranked 116th out of 347 Division-I teams. Look for that number to rise.

Now, watching Duke play its first exhibition game won't be the final word on how quick they will go, as much of the second half (if not all of it) will be non-competitive basketball. But it will be interesting to see how many possessions the Blue Devils log in the first half.

Starting five Barring anything totally out of left field, I can tell you which four players are sure bets to start: Quinn Cook, Rodney Hood, Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson. That leaves one spot for either Rasheed Sulaimon or Andre Dawkins. As hard as it is to believe Sulaimon might not keep his starting spot from last year, all preseason indications point to Dawkins getting that final spot.

Again, another caveat: who starts in exhibition play isn't certain to stick until the season opener on Nov. 8 against Davidson. Alex Murphy started both of last year's exhibition games. Those were his only starts on the year

Off the bench rotation So after the starting five, who else gets in the first half of the game? Kryzewski has said this team could be deeper than typical Duke teams (which I feel like gets said every year). Maybe, though, with the full-court press that will be employed this year, that will come to fruition. It's hard to imagine Thornton, Sulaimon/Dawkins (whoever doesn't start) and Josh Hairston not logging meaningful minutes, since all did last year. And what about newcomers Semi Ojeleye and Matt Jones? It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Official visits Really, this should be at the top of my list, because make no mistake about it: the most important thing for Duke basketball this weekend is that the visits of PG Tyus Jones, C Jahlil Okafor and SF Justise Winslow go well. All rank in the top 15 of the class of 2014, and Jones and Okafor are rated No. 1 at their respective positions (with Okafor No. 1 overall as well). Jones and Okafor have long insisted they are a package deal ( more on that here), and Winslow has suggested he would like to play with them, too. Should the Blue Devils land their commitments in November, they will be the early frontrunners for the 2014-15 title, regardless of who on the current team stays or goes.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

It's not that hard of a transition to come here," Boeheim said Wednesday at the ACC's media day in Charlotte. "If we would have left 20 years ago, I would have had trouble with it."

The Orange were founding members of the Big East in 1979, but Boeheim's time in Syracuse stretches back to 1962. There were rivalries before the Big East, and there will certainly be rivalries now, after its demise.

"Before the Big East, St. John's was our rival," Boeheim said. "We got in the Big East, and Georgetown became our rival, and St. John's still, and then Connecticut popped up, and then Pittsburgh popped up and then Louisville popped up. So, it's who is good in those years, that's your rival. It doesn't take 10 years.

"A rivalry can happen like that," he said, snapping his fingers. "One game, you can have a rivalry, and that's what will happen. Our fans already think Duke's a rival, they sold it out faster than they sold out Georgetown. So they must think that's going to be a rival game. And if it's a good game, then it will be. That's the way those things work. New rivalries will be created instantly. Overnight, there will be rivalries."

Tickets to the Feb. 1 Duke at Syracuse game did sell out in record time, and the Orange have sold about 5,000 more season ticket packages this year compared to years past (about 20,000 this year, Boeheim said). Why?

"The fans are excited about it. They're looking forward to it," he said. "Our fans think they're in a better league. The only thing they're unhappy about is not going to New York City. They're not unhappy about the league at all. They'd just rather go to New York City to play in the tournament. That's all."

And it's certainly a possibility that the ACC Tournament could find its way to the Big Apple in a few years.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski , who has been at Duke since 1980 (four years fewer than Boeheim has been at the helm of Syracuse) echoed his new rival's excitement.

"We love to play in lively places because that means it means something more," Krzyzewski said about going to the 35,012-seat Carrier Dome. "It will be an honor to play there and have a capacity crowd."

Southern Conference coaches tabbed Davidson senior
forward and former Hopewell
standout De’Mon Brooks as the preseason SoCon Player of the Year, and coaches
and media picked the Wildcats to finish second in the conference.

Brooks averaged 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last
year after being named the preseason conference player of the year. The honor
was eventually awarded to his teammate, Jake Cohen. Brooks won the award after
his sophomore campaign in 2012.

The Wildcats have one player on the preseason all-conference
team in Brooks.

In a narrow vote by both the coaches and media, Elon was
selected to win the SoCon with Davidson, last year's conference champion, coming in second. The Phoenix received seven first-place votes by
the coaches for a total of 96 points. Davidson received three first-place votes
with a total of 90 points.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina coach Roy Williams on Thursday gave no indication as to when P.J. Hairston might play again for the Tar Heels but, whenever it is, chances are Hairston, the junior guard, will be in good shape. He has spent a lot of time running of late. After an off-season of trouble – a speeding ticket in May while driving a rental car tied to a convicted felon, an arrest in June while driving another rental car tied to the same man, a reckless driving charge in July – Hairston will participate when UNC begins practice Friday. Beyond that, though, his status is unclear.Williams, who for the first time on Thursday spoke at length about Hairston’s issues, said he wasn’t yet sure how many games Hairston would miss. Williams also deflected a question about whether the NCAA would have a say in the length of Hairston’s suspension. “I can’t speak to what the NCAA is doing or not doing,” he said. “But I know that Roy Williams has a tremendous voice in what else is going to be done.”-Andrew Carter

Thursday, September 5, 2013

With the start of college basketball practice merely three weeks away (Sept. 27), the Duke Blue Devils are in near-perfect health.

Rodney Hood, who will play this season after sitting out last year following his transfer from Mississippi State, has completely recovered from the right Achilles injury he suffered at a USA Basketball's camp on June 26th.

"He's great," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Hood, a sophomore, is expected to star on the wing for this year's Duke team. Expectations are high—N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried went as far to say he and teammate Jabari Parker could go No. 2 and 3 in next year's NBA Draft.

Additionally, redshirt sophomore Marshall Plumlee has been doing individual work and will begin full-court work starting Monday, Krzyzewski said. Plumlee had surery on his left foot on April 23rd.

Thanks to NCAA rule changes, Krzyzewski and the rest of the coaches were allowed to spend two hours per week during second summer session working with their players. That extra time has allowed the staff to get to know the incoming players better, Krzyzewski said. The Blue Devils are currently working in small group sessions that will continue until the official start of practice.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said recently that P.J. Hairstonwould play this season, but not in every game. And now we have the same from Hairston, the UNC junior guard who told the told the Daily Tar Heel, the UNC campus newspaper, that he will “be on the court” this season.

Great hustle by Aaron Dodson, the DTH reporter who tracked Hairston down on Monday night on some basketball courts near the Smith Center. Hairston on his Twitter account had posted that he would be playing there. After a summer of trouble, Hairston is serving an indefinite suspension. It’s unclear when he’ll play this season.

“I’m not sure how long I’ll have to sit out,” Hairston told the DTH. “I haven’t found out yet, but whatever it is I’m ready for it.”

The length of Hairston’s suspension might not be clear for a while. UNC doesn’t begin the season until Nov. 8, at home against Oakland. The Tar Heels in their seventh game play against Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. UNC’s ninth game is at home against Kentucky on Dec. 14.

UNC coach Roy Williams suspended Hairston in late July, after he received a reckless driving charge near Salisbury. That followed his early June arrest on misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and driving without a license.

Hairston also received a speeding ticket in May while driving a rental car that has been tied to Haydn “Fats” Thomas, a Durham resident and convicted felon. At the time of his arrest in June, Hairston was driving a rented 2013 GMC Yukon that Thomas paid for.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

CHAPEL HILL -- P.J. Hairston will play this season, but not in every game. That's what Bubba Cunningham, the North Carolina athletic director, told a group of university faculty members during a question-and-answer session on Thursday.

Cunningham on Thursday spoke at a faculty retreat for the UNC journalism school. Andy Bechtel, an associate professor in the journalism school, posted on his Twitter account Cunningham's answer when asked about Hairston, the Tar Heels' junior guard and leading scorer who has been suspended indefinitely.

That was the entirety of Cunningham's answer, Bechtel later said during a phone interview. Cunningham's comments are the closest UNC has come to saying anything about Hairston's playing status for next season.

Hairston was suspended after the North Carolina Highway Patrol charged him with speeding and reckless driving late last month. That followed his arrest in Durham in early June, when he was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving without a license. Those charges were later dropped.

At the time of his arrest, Hairston was driving a rented GMC Yukon that was paid for by Haydn "Fats" Thomas, a Durham resident and convicted felon. Hairston also received a speeding ticket in May while driving another rental vehicle, a 2012 Camaro, that has been linked to Thomas.

"Not talking about P.J.," Williams said. "I've read about it all damn summer, I'm tired of reading about, tired of talking about it. If you want to talk about anything else, I'll talk about anything."

Cunningham, the UNC athletic director, also played in the pro-am with Williams and declined comment about Hairston. Cunningham's brief comment on Thursday was the first time that a UNC official has definitively said that Hairston will play this season.

Hairston is facing a potentially lengthy suspension, depending on whether his use of rental cars is deemed to be an extra benefit. If the use of rental cars were an extra benefit, the NCAA could suspend him from anywhere between three and nine games - or more - depending on the monetary value of the benefit. Williams said in a statement last month that Hairston would face "serious consequences."

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

GREENSBORO -- Even after making five birdie putts during a nice round of golf with Davis Love III, Roy Williams was in no mood to talk about P.J. Hairston today after Williams finished playing in the pro-am of the Wyndham Championship.

"Not talking about P.J.," Williams said when I asked him how his conversations have gone recently with Hairston, North Carolina's leading scorer whom Williams suspended indefinitely. "I've read about it all damn summer, I'm tired of reading about, tired of talking about it. If you want to talk about anything else, I'll talk about anything."

Indeed, Hairston has created plenty of reading material this summer. There was his arrest in early June in Durham, where police charged him with misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving without a license. Both charges were later dropped, but Hairston at the time of his arrest was driving a 2013 GMC Yukon that had been rented by Haydn "Fats" Thomas, a Durham resident and convicted felon.

Hairston received a speeding ticket in May while driving another rental vehicle, a 2012 Camaro, that has been linked to Thomas. Then, in late July, Hairston was charged with speeding and reckless driving on his way to Charlotte. After that, Williams promptly suspended Hairston, a rising junior who considered entering the NBA draft before deciding to return to school.

"It's been a little hectic," Williams said of his summer, "and some things that make it not as much fun. But I've still got one of the best jobs in the world."

He later said "it's been a hard summer. No question about that."

During the pro-am, Williams played a foursome that included Love III and Bubba Cunningham, the UNC athletic director. Williams said he has known Love III since the days when he played golf at UNC.

"I was there the day that Michael Jordan broke his driver on the practice range," Williams said. "So we go back a long ways."

Amid all the stress of the summer, Williams appeared at ease on the course. Between shots he chatted with fans, signed autographs and posed for pictures.

The drama surrounding Hairston, though, remains unsettled. Even before his suspension, Williams in a statement said Hairston would face "serious consequences." If the rental cars Hairston drove are deemed to have been an extra benefit, Hairston would face an NCAA-mandated suspension of three to nine games, depending on the monetary value of the rental cars during the time Hairston drove them. In addition, he'd face additional punishment from Williams.

Williams was in no mood to discuss Hairston on Wednesday, though he said he's "anxious" for the start of the practice.

"With the new rules, we can start as early as Sept. 27, which makes the season even longer," Williams said. "I thought it was long enough beforehand. But I'm anxious. I think we've got a great group of young kids that I'm going to enjoy working with.

"This is a good release right here, getting out on the golf course, and I enjoyed the heck out of it today."

Friday, August 9, 2013

Jahlil Okafor, the No. 1 overall prospect for the Class of 2014, will take an official visit to Duke on Oct. 25, according to an article by ESPN Chicago's Scott Powers. The Blue Devils will also host top (and only) point guard target Tyus Jones the same weekend.

Okafor and Jones, ranked No. 3 in the class of 2014, have repeatedly expressed a desire to play together in college (more on that here in my story from last month's Nike EYBL Peach Jam tournament), so the Duke staff is likely pleased they were able to schedule both prospects for the same weekend. Duke will be the last school Okafor officially visits, as his schedule looks like this: Baylor on Aug. 30, Kentucky on Sept. 9, Arizona on Oct. 11, Kansas on Oct. 18th and Duke on Oct. 25.

Jones will join him on the visits to Baylor, Kansas and Duke, and Jones's full schedule will be set next week, his mother, Debbie, said in a text message. The pair won't be present for Duke's version of Midnight Madness, Countdown to Craziness, as it's scheduled for Oct. 18th. Kentucky's alumni game is scheduled for the weekend of the duo's visit. But, Duke does have the advantage of falling last in line. And, while everything is always subject to change in recruiting, I'm expecting there to be another visitor that weekend as well. ABC: Always be closing.

Okafor will also take unofficial visits to Illinois, Michigan State and Ohio State, but each of those schools is undoubtedly unhappy they didn't make the cut for his official visit list.

Also notable in the ESPN article is the idea that Okafor and his father, Chuck, are unhappy about the rumors indicating Okafor is leaning toward Duke. It makes sense: I would imagine he doesn't want that perception affecting his experiences at other schools. I wouldn't assume that's a bad sign for Duke.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

President Obama will announce on Thursday that Dean Smith will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to an ESPN.com report.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, according to the White House, and is “presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

In addition to Smith, ESPN.com reported that Ernie Banks, known with affection as “Mr. Cub” for his Major League Baseball Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Cubs, will also receive the Medal of Freedom.

Smith coached at UNC from 1961 through 1997, retiring after 36 seasons, 879 victories and two national championships, which the Tar Heels won in 1982 and 1993. He guided the Tar Heels to the ACC tournament championship 13 times, and he led UNC to 11 Final Fours. At the time of his retirement, Smith was the most victorious coach in college basketball history.

In addition to what his teams accomplished on the court, Smith is remembered for the connection he shared with his players off of it. More than 95 percent of Smith’s lettermen graduated, and he fostered an atmosphere that kept players returning to campus years after they’d left school.

Smith in recent years has been suffering from a neurological disorder that has greatly diminished his memory.

Smith’s family in 2010 released a letter about his condition that read, in part: “Our dad has a progressive neurocognitive disorder that affects his memory.

“So now, he may not immediately recall the name of every former player from his many years in coaching, but that does not diminish what those players meant to him or how much he cares about them.”

Pat Summitt, the former Tennessee women’s basketball coach who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year. Other recipients who made their name in sports include: Stan Musial, Bill Russell, Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali, Buck O’Neil, Frank Robinson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Hank Aaron.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The ACC will be part of ESPN's Big Monday basketball doubleheader this coming season (RIP, old Big East), with Duke drawing two of the prime-time match-ups.

The Blue Devils will host Virginia on Jan. 13th at 7 p.m. and make their inaugural ACC trip to Pittsburgh for a 7 p.m. tip on Jan. 27th.

Duke and Pitt have actually split their 12 past meetings, the most recent of which was Pitt’s 65-64 win in overtime on Dec. 20, 2007 in Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils will be making their fifth trip to Pittsburgh and their first since a 78-69 win on Jan. 26, 1980.

Those will be the only conference games against the Cavaliers and the Panthers.

Here's a refresher on the other Duke basketball dates that have been announced:

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina made a play to bolster its already-strong 2014 recruiting class on Tuesday when it offered a scholarship to shooting guard Robert Johnson, according to Inside Carolina and other reports.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Johnson, who plays at Benedictine College Prep in Richmond, Va., is a four-star prospect, according to ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com.

Johnson is outside of the ESPN top 100, but Rivals ranks him the 84th-best prospect in his class. He played well in various AAU events this summer – apparently well enough to earn a scholarship offer from UNC – and, as you can see from his stats right here, Johnson is a shooter.

The Tar Heels are likely to need one of those. Regardless of when – or even if – P.J. Hairston plays for UNC this season, it’s probably not too far-fetched to believe that he won't be around beyond the 2013-14 season. His departure would leave UNC with no proven outside shooting presence. So Johnson would fit well into UNC’s plans.

The Tar Heels already have commitments from three players ESPN.com ranks among the top 14 in the class of 2014. The 6-foot-7 Justin Jackson and the 6-foot-6 Theo Pinson are lean, talented wing players. Then there’s Joel Berry, the 6-foot point guard.

UNC also has an offer out to Rashad Vaughn, who’s the No. 11 overall prospect in the nation, according to ESPN, and the top shooting guard in the class.

Monday, July 15, 2013

North Carolina coachRoy Williamson Monday broke his silence on the controversy surroundingP.J. Hairston, the Tar Heels’ leading scorer who was arrested last month and charged with marijuana possession and driving without a license.

At the time of his arrest in Durham, Hairston was driving a rented vehicle that was paid for byHaydn “Fats” Thomas, a convicted felon with a long rap sheet. Hairston received a speeding ticket while driving another rented vehicle linked to Thomas.

Williams had declined comment on Hairston’s troubles but the silence ended on Monday.

“P.J. and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result,” Williams said in a statement.

Williams added:“Other issues have been written about recently that are disturbing and bother me deeply. Our basketball program is based on great ideals and these issues are embarrassing. These are not common in my 10 years as head coach at UNC and they will all be dealt with harshly and appropriately at the correct time to ensure that our program will not be compromised.”

Here is his statement in full:

“I initially decided not to make a statement about PJ (Hairston) until the legal process had been finalized. I believe that is the fair way that everyone should be treated and is the way of our country.

PJ and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result. Certainly the idea of suspending PJ has been discussed. However, he is not currently enrolled in summer school, is not practicing with the team and we have no games until November. There are several options available in terms of discipline but we are going to wait until the process is complete to decide on those options.

Other issues have been written about recently that are disturbing and bother me deeply. Our basketball program is based on great ideals and these issues are embarrassing. These are not common in my 10 years as head coach at UNC and they will all be dealt with harshly and appropriately at the correct time to ensure that our program will not be compromised.

We will care about each individual but there will be serious actions taken that will fix these issues. I take pride in our values and how we have conducted ourselves for a long time here at Carolina and this time will pass but it will be dealt with strongly.

We are talking about a program that has been a model of success on and off the court and it will be again. I want to thank our fans for their patience, understanding and support.”

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

CHAPEL HILL— Amid the ongoing turmoil surroundingP.J. Hairston, the rising junior guard who was North Carolina’s leading scorer last season, university athletic directorBubba Cunninghamearlier today said UNC was still gathering information and that it wouldn’t comment further until it had “sufficient understanding of the facts involved.”

Hairston has been embroiled in controversy for more than a month, since being arrested in Durham on misdemeanor marijuana possession charges. On the night of his arrest, Hairston was driving a rental car that had been rented by Haydn “Fats” Thomas, a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal record.

Here is Cunningham’s statement:

“The athletic department compliance staff and I are fully aware of recent media accounts related to our men’s basketball team. We take these matters very seriously and are looking into these reports and the inferences they contain with all due diligence.

“It is my practice not to comment on the individuals involved or the details surrounding these reports until we have sufficient understanding of the facts involved. We are still gathering information, learning information from other sources, and we will not comment until we have a strong grasp of each individual situation.

“Where the facts show mistakes in judgment and/or actions, Coach (Roy) Williams will take and I will support the appropriate disciplinary measures. The integrity of the University of North Carolina is of paramount concern to all of us and is the principle on which Coach Williams and the athletic department operate each and every day.

“The most responsible course of action, however, is to withhold judgment and comment until we are confident we have the facts to do so. I appreciate everyone’s understanding of that and we will bring these matters to resolution as soon as possible.”

Thursday, June 27, 2013

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina finished eighth in the Directors' Cup, which measures a school's performance in all sports in NCAA postseason competition. The UNC women's soccer and women's lacrosse teams won national championships, which bolstered the Tar Heels to another top-10 finish in the Directors' Cup standings.

UNC finished first among ACC schools, followed by Florida State (11th), Duke (12th) and Virginia (20th). N.C. State (34th), Virginia Tech (36th) and Maryland (44th) also finished among the top 50 nationally. This is the fifth consecutive year that UNC has finished in the top 10 nationally.

In addition to the women's soccer and lacrosse teams, five other UNC teams also finished among the top 10 in their sports: field hockey (second), baseball (third), men's soccer (fifth), women's tennis (fifth) and men's lacrosse (fifth). UNC women's swimming (12th), fencing (13th), men's basketball (17th), women's basketball (17th) and volleyball (17th) also finished among the top 20 nationally.

UNC finished in eighth place for the second consecutive year. In the 20-year history of the Directors' Cup, UNC has finished 17 times among the top 10. Stanford, Florida and UCLA are the only schools with more top-10 finishes than UNC.

UNC's 17 top-10 finishes are five more than the rest of the ACC combined. Here are the final Directors' Cup standings.

Friday, June 21, 2013

With the June 27 NBA draft fast approaching, Mason Plumlee looks to be a solid bet to go in the middle of the first round, according to the mock drafts:

Draft Express: No. 14 to the Utah Jazz

Sports Illustrated: No. 16 to Boston the Boston Celtics

ESPN: No. 17 to the Atlanta Hawks

NBA Draft Net: No. 19 to the Cleveland Cavaliers

Yahoo!: No. 22 to the Brooklyn Nets

CBS Sports: No. 22 to the Brooklyn Nets

Of course, it only takes one team to pull a surprise that sends everyone's mock drafts up in flames. Keep in mind that, at this time last year, no one was projecting Miles Plumlee to go in the first round.

Between preparing for the draft and criss-crossing the country for workouts, Plumlee say down with Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose as part of their NBA job interview series. The trio have a candid conversation and review a little bit of film. Check out the above video -- it's definitely worth a watch.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Theo Pinson, a 6-foot-6 Greensboro small forward who is among the top junior prospects in the nation, has committed to North Carolina.

Pinson announced his decision earlier today during a ceremony at Wesleyan Christian Academy. He chose UNC over Duke, Georgetown, Indiana and Louisville.

ESPN.com ranks Pinson the 13th-best prospect in the class of 2014. With his commitment, the Tar Heels have commitments from the No. 12, 13 and 14th-ranked prospects in the junior class, according to ESPN.com.

Before Wednesday, UNC already had commitments from Orlando point guard Joel Berry, whom ESPN.com ranks the No. 12 junior prospect in the nation. Justin Jackson, a Tomball (Texas) small forward who is ranked the No. 14 prospect in the nation, also has committed to UNC.

Outside of UNC, no other school has more than one commitment from a top-50 player in the junior class.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Wes Long, who had a
75-66 record in five season as men’s basketball coach at Queens, is leaving the
Royals to become an assistant at Chattanooga.

Long, 32, who has spent
his entire career at Queens as either an
assistant or head coach, will join new coach Will Wade with the Mocs. A walk-on
basketball player at Clemson, Long came to Queens
in 2004 as an assistant before getting the head-coaching job in 2008. His
Royals teams won the Conference Carolinas regular-season championships in 2011
and ’12 (playing in the NCAA tournament in ’12).

Long is leaving Queens at a time when the school is opening a new arena
for next season. Scott Taylor, a long-time assistant of Long’s, could be a
candidate to replace him.

“Queens is a good job
and getting better,” said Long. “I wasn’t dying to get a Division I job. But I
think it’s the right opportunity at the right place with the right guy to do
it. It’s a perfect opportunity with a guy I know and trust.”

Long and Wade, a former
assistant at VirginiaCommonwealth, attended
Clemson together.

“I am very excited to
announce Wes is joining our family,” Wade said in a statement. “He did a
tremendous job leading the program at Queens,
and we have kept in close contact over the years. I know we share a vision
about the all-around student-athlete experience – academically, athletically
and socially. He is an outstanding addition.” -- David Scott

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Davidson men’s basketball team tabbed four players as
captains for the 2013-14 season.

Two-time Southern Conference tournament MVP De’Mon Brooks
leads the quartet of captains into the Wildcats’ final year in the SoCon before
moving to the Atlantic 10.

Brooks is joined by Tom Droney, Tyler Kalinoski and Chris
Czerapowicz as captains, who were voted upon by the players and coaching staff.

“They have been fortune to have the torch of leadership
passed along to them by Nik Cochran, Jake Cohen, JP Kuhlman and Clint Mann,”
coach Bob McKillop said in a release. “We are very pleased to have them leading
us next year. They are all superb representatives of our program and College.”

Brooks averaged 13.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which
were second on the team this past season behind conference player of the year
Jake Cohen.

Czerapowicz has started 41 straight games for the Wildcats,
while Droney saw his role increase this past season when sixth man Clint Mann
went down with a concussion for the second half of the season.

Kalinoski, a junior, ranked second on the team in made
3-pointers with 55.

Monday, May 13, 2013

CHAPEL HILL — Andrew Wiggins will announce his college choice on Tuesday. Few people might be happier about it than Dave Telep, the ESPN.com national college basketball recruiting analyst. Telep has covered Wiggins’ recruitment from start to finish but even he admitted on Monday that he has no idea where Wiggins will go.

Wiggins, the 6-foot-7 forward from Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, has been down to his final four schools for a while now: Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. He hasn’t offered any indication about which of those four schools he’s favoring.

There has been plenty of speculation. Wiggins’ parents met at Florida State, where his dad, Mitchell, played basketball. At Kentucky, Wiggins would join a recruiting class that’s already being described as perhaps the best ever. At North Carolina and Kansas, he’d immediately elevate those teams to national title contenders.
According to Wiggins’ high school coach, Rob Fulford, the drama will end on Tuesday at around 12:15.

That’s when Wiggins will sign with a school. There won’t be a press conference or cameras. Just a ceremony with friends and teammates. It’s not a surprise Wiggins would do things that way, Telep said.
Telep stayed up late on Sunday night trying to handicap where Wiggins might wind up. He gives Florida State a 35 percent chance, Kansas a 25 percent chance and UNC and Kentucky and 20 percent chance.

But really, he said with a laugh, he doesn’t know. Here are his thoughts on a variety of topics related to Wiggins’ recruitment:

Andrew Carter: So Andrew Wiggins will make his choice tomorrow – what has been your reaction to all the speculation out there that has this school leading for him, or that school?

Dave Telep: I’ve gotten a real kick out of listening to people talk with authority on this subject, because over the course of the last few months I’ve just kind of sat back and watched and was able to find out who’s full of it and who’s not. Because anybody who spoke on this with authority really had no idea what they were talking about.

AC: How rare is it for a guy like this to keep things so close to the vest for so long?

DT: I think this whole thing is a microcosm of a few things. I’m not convinced everybody on his family is on the same page. I’m very convinced that he has a hard time saying no, and (is) appreciative of the relationships that have been built. And he’s a people pleaser, and I don’t think he wants to – I just don’t think he wanted to ever have to make these calls. And I think those few things have really driven why it’s taken so long.

AC: The fact that he’s making this announcement without any kind of fan fare, without cameras and a lot of media – what does that say about Wiggins?

DT: It’s totally consistent with who he’s been. You know, we had him on (ESPN) a couple of times – he was never that excited to do it. The most time I’ve had with him is when we set up in advance a 20-minute interview in Charlotte, and it was really enjoyable. We had a great time talking about things, and I felt like I really got to know him. And he loosened up and he opened up and we could talk about a lot of different things. But right after that was over, he just kind of went back to being Andrew and was all quiet again.

I really respect how he’s handled this. I think people look at this and the people who don’t know will say this is a kid that’s dragging out the process. This is just a kid who has had difficulty making a decision, for whatever reason. He really has never sought (attention). Andrew Wiggins could pick up the phone right now, and say I want to decide on ESPN, and we’d rearrange our schedule to get it done. That phone is not ringing, and nobody’s sitting by the phone waiting for it. I thought all along that he’d pick up the phone one day, call and commit and throw it out on Twitter and he’d be done with it. The way he’s doing it is totally how I would have expected him to.

AC: Do you think it will leak out tonight or tomorrow morning before the announcement?

DT: Well, I don’t think he cares. At that point, I don’t think he would care. It certainly could leak out. But there’s a zero percent chance I would ever write anything until hearing the words from either Andrew or somebody sitting right next to him at that point. Somebody’s going to jump the gun and get this thing wrong, you mark my words.

AC: We’ve heard lots of comparisons about Wiggins, from people saying he’s the best prospect since this guy or that guy. LeBron James' name has come up. What’s your reaction?

DT: Those words – the best prospect since LeBron, it’s not even a fair tag and I don’t think it’s accurate. People forget about a guy named Greg Oden, because his NBA career hasn’t worked out. And they are totally dismissing what Dwight Howard was as a high school player. I think so many people are living in the moment.

It’s not fair – Andrew is not LeBron James. I don’t think he’s ever going to be a LeBron James impact guy like that. He’s the most talented prospect in the class this year, and that’s certainly noteworthy. He has a significant upside … but I think the enthusiasm has to be tempered, in terms of who he is in terms of his impact over the last decade. He’s a really good player. He’s the best prospect in this class. He’s not LeBron James. And no one that I’ve seen since doing this since 1997 has been in that same tier as LeBron James.

AC: His arrival would mean different things for different teams but in a general sense what will his decision mean to the school he selects?

DT: Everybody has different uses for this guy next year. At North Carolina, Kansas and Florida State, he kind of becomes their instant face of the program, for lack of a better term. At Kentucky, he becomes part of the most heavily-covered soap opera in maybe college basketball history next year. Everybody has different uses and different impacts. The bottom line is guys like Andrew Wiggins don’t walk onto your campus every year. And the amount of media attention and on-the-court attention he’s going to receive is going to be, for whatever program he picks, very uncommon to deal with.

Thanks to Telep for his time. And now, the wait continues for one final day …

Monday, May 6, 2013

It's not too often that a high-level basketball recruit publicly identifies his dream school from the start of his recruiting process.

But that's exactly what Grayson Allen, a shooting guard from Jacksonville Providence High, did. He told everyone that would listen that he wanted to go to Duke, and he became Duke's first 2014 commit shortly after Jeff Capel, Steve Wojciechowski and Mike Krzyzewski visited him at home and extended him an offer. You can read the full story on Allen here.

There isn't a great historical comparison from Duke's past for Allen, according to ESPN senior recruiting analyst Dave Telep.

"He’s different," Telep said of Allen. "Everyone always likes to say, ‘well, who is he like, but they haven’t had a guy like this. This guy, you can plug him in different spots, and he can be successful. The fact that he has a basketball IQ as both a passer, shooter and scorer is a big deal."

So there's that to look for in the 2014-15 season. And here is a quick rundown of Duke's other major targets for that year, listed in relative priority order:

The last two guys, Pinson and Booker, have overlapping skills with Allen, so it would be pretty surprising if either ended up in Duke's 2014 class. Jones and Okafor have repeatedly said they are a package deal and are the clear top targets of the class.

As it stands right now, there are eight offers (including Allen's), for four open spots in the 2014 class (Tyler Thornton, Josh Hairston, Andre Dawkins and Todd Zafirovski will all move on and free up scholarships). That doesn't factor in anyone leaving early, and Rodney Hood, Jabari Parker and Rasheed Sulaimon will certainly be candidates to do that depending on how the season goes.

Recruiting is all about having options—for the players and for the offering teams. Keep an eye on those names going forward.

Monday, April 15, 2013

A source close to the program said Monday confirmed that Scheyer will
be a special assistant next season. Scheyer is currently playing
professionally in Spain and did not respond to a request for comment.

As a member of the Duke squad from 2006-2010, Scheyer ranks 10th in
school history with 2,077 career points. Scheyer also ranks fourth in
the Duke record books with 297 3-pointers and third in career free
throws (608) and free throw percentage (.861). Scheyer was a senior
captain and starting point guard on the 2010 national championship team.

Since graduating from Duke, Scheyer has played in the NBA development
league, as a reserve for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, and is currently a
reserve for CB Gran Canaria this season. His best chance at the NBA was
derailed in 2010 by a freak eye injury in an NBA summer league game.
Scheyer was out seven months after surgery to repair a partly torn optic
nerve.

CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman first reported the possibility of Scheyer returning to Duke this weekend. He would fill the position vacated by Nate James, who was promoted to assistant coach when Chris Collins left for Northwestern. The Blue Devils were expected to hire a former player.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Duke's Mason Plumlee received the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award at the Guardians of the Game Awards Show in Atlanta. He is the first player out of the ACC to claim the award in its 14 years of existence.

Plumlee was named second-team All-America by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Associated Press and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He averaged 17.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, and he shot 59.9 percent from the field.

Plumlee was also a Capital One first-team Academic All-America selection. He is the fifth player in Duke history to earn All-America and Academic All-America in the same season.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Louisville's Rick Pitino discusses how he prepares his team for Michigan and coach John Beilein talks about the Cardinals. CineSport's Noah Coslov reports from inside the Georgia Dome, the site of Monday's NCAA men's basketball championship.

Roy Williams said Friday that three North Carolina players, James Michael McAdoo, P.J. Hairston and Reggie Bullock, are weighing early entry into the NBA, and that they have not yet completed that process.

Williams, during a radio interview with WFNZ-610AM’s Taylor Zarzour, said:

"I think it's still up in the air but we're much much closer to having all of them back than we were last year. They are all enjoying school, they are all still hungry to do more and there is nobody that is a guaranteed top-10 pick. We still have to continue going through the process, allowing those guys to make decisions, and in my mind some of them have already been made just about, but we're going to wait until all three are done so we can just have one announcement."

Sunday, March 31, 2013

The first half of Sunday's Midwest Regional final ended with Louisville holding a 35-32 lead on Duke. The game changed irrevocably, though, midway through the period, when Cardinals guard Kevin Ware suffered a compound fracture in his right leg that left his right tibia exposed.

Ware jumped to defend a Tyler Thornton 3-pointer and collapsed in a heap. Lying on his back right in front of the Louisville bench, his right tibia was sticking through his skin. The reaction by his teammates and coaches was immediate.

Many of the assistants and support staff ran to the side. Chane Behanan dropped to the floor and rolled around, sobbing. Peyton Siva and Wayne Blackshear dropped to the floor as well. Russ Smith sobbed as well. Rick Pitino wiped tears from his eyes but stayed near Ware the entire time.

Players from both teams were visibly shaken. The medical staff ran onto the court, and Louisville assistants held up towels to block Ware’s exposed tibia from view. Ware left the court on a stretcher, with a medical device protecting his shin, protruding from his leg, covered by a towel. The crowd, including Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke bench, stood and applauded as Ware was wheeled off.

A Louisville spokesman released a statement saying Ware had been taken to nearby Methodist Hospital for treatment.

AP Sports Writer Michael Marot reports from Indianapolis that Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is thinking about more than just Sunday's regional final against future Atlantic Coast Conference member Louisville.

"For all these schools that have joined, it makes (the ACC) the most powerful basketball conference, I think ever," Krzyzewski said Saturday of the latest round of conference realignment. "I hope our league is able to understand the assets that we've accumulated and what it does to the assets we already have. I think if positioned properly, it sets us apart from anybody, and we should look at where football is or whatever."

Next year, the league will add Syracuse - which beat Marquette in a Big East matchup for the East Regional title Saturday - along with Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. The Cardinals are scheduled to join in 2014 when Maryland bolts for the Big Ten.

Krzyzewski is already urging ACC officials to start contemplating what they need to do to avoid other leagues from poaching ACC schools. He said the best way is to rethink how the ACC does business - down to developing its own TV network or where it holds its tournament.

"In other words, to take a real close look at our league with the new members and say: Why are we different, why are we better and how can we be the top league?" Krzyzewski said. "If we don't do that, then we're negligent, to be quite frank with you."

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Second-seeded Duke will play top-seeded Louisville on Sunday (5:05 p.m., CBS) in Indianapolis with a berth in the 2013 Final Four at stake. Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski and star guard Seth Curry spoke to the media on Saturday.

How they got here: At-large bid; finished the regular season tied for second in the Big 10

Keep an eye on: Gary Harris

The Big 10 freshman of the year, the first-ever for the Spartans, has the athleticism to give Duke fits if he drives off the dribble. With Quinn Cook guarding on the ball and Rasheed Sulaimon taking on 6-foot-6 Brandon Dawson, that leaves Seth Curry to match up with Harris. Curry had success limiting Temple's Khalif Wyatt earlier this year, holding him to six points on 3-of-15 shooting.

A few of the Spartans, Tom Izzo included, compared Harris to Sulaimon.

"Their game is very similar, aggressive," Dawson said. "He's not really as athletic as Gary, but he can shoot it."

Key mismatch:

There really isn't one. The Spartans are most concerned with containing Duke's perimeter. Curry has scored at least 15 points in every postseason game, and Sulaimon added 21 against Creighton. If the shooters--Ryan Kelly included--are hitting from downtown, the Blue Devils are tough to beat.

Number to know:
18

Second-chance points the Spartans are averaging in the NCAA Tournament.

Pulse check:

No one could be faulted for picking either team to win this matchup. It's a tough call--even for Tom Izzo's 13-year-old son, Steven.

"He had his whole bracket filled out, and I get a big enlarged one," Izzo said. "In our bracket, the only one that wasn't filled out to the end, I said, You haven't finished this one. He said, I'm having trouble with a game. I said, What game? He said, I got you getting to Duke, Dad. I said, That's good. I said, Where are we going from there? I don't know, you know. I don't know, Dad. I don't know.

"So I just kind of -- I tried to be a real parent, you know, not push your kid. Help him make intelligent decisions, like all of us do. And I said, Steven, I love you, man. Do it with your head, not your heart. Don't worry about Mom or Dad. The damn kid didn't do it. He didn't worry about us at all. He picked Duke and we move on.

"So as I told a lot of people, I love my kid. He's a skinny little guy that won't be eating for a month if we lose this game. That's the way it works. That's the way it goes."

About this blog

David Scott has been with the Observer for 28 years and has written about ACC, SEC and other college sports in the Charlotte region. He covers Wake Forest, South Carolina and college soccer for the Observer and (Raleigh) News & Observer.

J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997, and the Observer.

Andrew Carter covers the North Carolina Tar Heels for the Observer and News & Observer.

Laura Keeley covers the Duke Blue Devils for the Observer and News & Observer. Follow her on Twitter.

Chip Alexander covers the Carolina Hurricanes and college football for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1979, and the Observer.

Luke DeCock has worked for The News & Observer since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist for the Observer and News & Observer in August 2008.

Tim Crothers is an author and former senior writer at Sports Illustrated who is joining the sports staff to write a regular column during the rest of the college basketball season.